Daydreamer
by lauraxxx
Summary: Jamie is nervous about meeting Roman's daughter Tia. One-shot sequel to Slave to the Grind.


**Hiiia guys. Thinking I might post some one-shots from Jamie, Lexie, Sammy, Dean, Seth and Roman's lives. Let me know if you're interested.**

 **Just a little something I wrote because it had been bouncing around in my mind. If you like please review.**

Jamie paced back and forth, her bare feet padding across the immaculate dark wooden floorboards of Romans apartment, her twinkling sparkling toenails glistening in the sunshine that burst through the huge windows. Her hands twisted against one another as she bit her lip anxiously but her eyes remained on the terrifying front door.  
It shouldn't be that scary, she told herself. Her heart shouldn't be thudding against her chest so rapidly that it felt like it could explode at any moment. Her hands shouldn't be shaking at the thought of meeting a little girl. But she wasn't any little girl, she was Tia, Romans daughter and the true love of his life. He adored that little girl and cherished every word she spoke. What is she didn't like Jamie and she told Roman? What if Tia and Jamie didn't bond the way Roman was sure they would?

He was convinced everything would be perfect. He loved Jamie and so he was sure Tia would too.

But Jamie knew she wasn't all that lovable. Especially when it came to children. She struggled to coerce with them in a childlike manner, she couldn't hide her disdain at being asked to play childish games. Jamie wished Romans daughter was a teenager, which would make everything so much easier. Sure she'd probably be moody and irritable but Jamie could win her over with shopping trips and boy talk. She didn't know how to win over an eight year old little girl.

And she so desperately wanted to win Tia over. She loved Roman more than she'd ever loved anyone before. She loved him more than her ex-husband, she loved him more than all of the foster families she'd grown up with combined. She loved him more than she loved herself, and she knew he loved her too, but he would always love Tia more and that was fine, Jamie thought. She'd understood from day one that Tia was Romans number one priority and that she'd always hold the biggest place in his heart, and Jamie loved that about him. He was so kind, loving and normal. But what if Tia hated her? Would roman still love Jamie then?

Jamie desperately needed Tia to like her but she knew children didn't naturally warm to her like they did with Sammy and Lexie. She was everything children didn't was cold where children liked warmth, she wasn't tender and affectionate she was hard as steel and she didn't enjoy playing along with dolls to appease children. Jamie wasn't completely heartless, she loved Lexie's son Aaron but she liked to love him from afar; she didn't rush straight to him like Sammy did whenever they visited, her day wouldn't be destroyed if he didn't smile or gurgle for her and she certainly didn't find it adorable when he let out long stinky farts.

She'd always been the same, whilst growing up in various different foster homes there had always been other children about but Jamie tried to avoid them all at all cost. She always scoffed when people presumed that growing up in the system you naturally bonded with the other unwanted children you were dumped with, knowing without a shadow of a doubt that that wasn't true. It wasn't true for her at least. Jamie had had to look out for herself for as long as she could remember, she didn't have the strength or the energy to take care of someone else too. So she kept her head down and focused on surviving.

But she wanted to change. She wanted to be warm and playful because she wanted Tia to love her. Jamie wanted Tia to love her just as much as Jamie loved Roman, and she knew she'd love the little girl too, probably already did, because she was a part of Roman and Jamie loved every single thing about him.

Hearing a girlish giggle outside Jamie paused suddenly, her eyes staring at the door nervously. She imagined Roman leaning down to Tia's small height, she imagined him tickling her before placing a loving kiss on her forehead before telling his little girl that he had someone for her to meet, or would he have told her during the car ride over? Jamie didn't know but she knew Roman was going to introduce Jamie to Tia as his new girlfriend, he'd told Jamie he didn't want to skirt around the facts with his daughter. He'd waited long enough for them to meet, he'd waited until he knew that they were serious before bringing his beautiful daughter into the fold.

"Oh god," Jamie breathed, her eyes flicking to the couch as she wondered whether she should stand or sit for their arrival. Moving quickly she jumped over to the white sofa, thinking that she might seem less intimidating if she wasn't towering over the little girl.

Jamie cleared her suddenly dry throat and told herself to get it together.

She crossed her ankles and let her hands fall into her lap, realising she was sitting as if she were about to meet the President and not a seven year old girl.  
The door opened and Jamie felt her heart rapping against her chest. This was it.

Tia walked in first, her dark eyes wide and wondering and her lips pursed together. Roman walked behind the youngster, his hand placed gently on her shoulder encouraging her inside. Was he guiding her in because he was concerned she would try to flee once she came face to face with Jamie? Or was it just a gentle gesture to calm his young daughter's nerves?

Shit, Jamie realised, maybe Tia was as nervous as she was

Jamie hadn't once thought about how Tia would feel once she heard the news. She was Daddy's little girl and while Roman had told her months ago that her Mommy and he were no longer together, they were just best friends, they had all still been living in the same home up until two months prior. She was still getting used to coming to her father's new apartment on his days off and now she had to get used to a new woman in his life too.

She cringed internally, suddenly worrying if this was all too soon. Not for Roman or herself, but for the little lady in Roman's life? Jamie didn't want to cause upset and pain to Tia, she wanted her to be happy.

"Hi, Tia, Jamie said smiling, hoping she was looking friendly and lovable instead of the mess she was on the inside. "I've been wanting to see you forever," she lied. Jamie had been happy with how her relationship with Roman was but it was Roman who was keen to have Jamie and Tia meet. He desperately wanted to see his daughter and Jamie together.

Roman smiled, happy to have his two favourite girls in the same room together. He tossed Tia's overnight bag to the floor and bent to his knees so he was his daughter's height. "You remember Jamie from last year right? You did her hair in pretty pigtails?" He encouraged. Jamie remembered the experience with distain.

Tia turned to her father, still looking lost, and whispered in his ear.

Jamie desperately strained to hear.

Roman smiled softly at his daughter. "No baby, Jamie wasn't my girlfriend back then, but she was my friend, and she was your friend too, remember?"  
Tia nodded quietly, although Jamie wasn't convinced the child remembered.

"You want to say hi?" Roman encouraged once again his arm wrapped around Tia's little waist, cuddling her close to him.

"Hi," she said quickly and quietly, avoiding all eye contact with the pink haired model.

Jamie stood feeling unsure of herself. She pressed the palms of her hands against her white jeans and bent slightly in Tia's direction. "You want to do something fun today? We could go to the park? Or we could go and get ice cream?" She offered, instantly terrified that she'd offered the wrong thing. What if Tia wasn't allowed ice cream? Or hated the park? "Or we could watch a movie?" Jamie continued.

Tia turned to her father and leaned in against his ear once again. He smiled at her words, his eyes locking with Jamie's.

"Ice cream sounds good," he repeated Tia's response.

Jamie let out a sigh of relief. "Ice cream it is then," she beamed feeling her heart flutter with ease as the little girl's mouth pulled into a smile and she did a little jump of excitement.

 **Please review :)**


End file.
